Becoming Sherlock
-Written and submitted to Cheff’s Volunteer Newsletter by a Cheff Volunteer
December, 2021
Sherlock Homes is well-known as the fictional British detective who was a master at solving crimes. Meanwhile, the rest of us may not be solving crimes but often we are curious about another mystery: The mystery of people’s behavior. Why did she say that? Why did she do that? Why did she lose her temper? Why did he say those pessimistic words? Also, within the mystery of our own behavior, we have the evidence of what we say and do, plus we have access to our private thoughts and feelings. So, in our own behavior we have a bit more to go on because we know about our private internal experiences. “Why did I yell?” “Why am I so sad?” “Why are my thoughts so crazy?” We become psychological detectives because we want to say and do and think and feel healthy things. Right? We want to be successful and enjoy the company of others and, finally, we want our loved ones to thrive.
In modern psychology, there is a model for psychological detective work known as the biopsychosocial model. Yup. That’s a compound word that we can split up to understand the method. It describes the biological domain, the psychological domain (of the individual), and the social domain (the individual with others). This means doing detective work in the three different areas, which can be useful for discovering both causes and cures. So, it can help us understand the why plus provide a way to intervene and get better. The riders at the Cheff Center can benefit in the biological, psychological, and social domains, and can develop better adaptations and better health in each of those areas.
Let’s start with the biological domain. This certainly covers a lot of ground and causes can include genetics, illness, injuries, diet, exercise, medicine, pollution, contamination, weather and so on. As detectives, we can investigate these things. Examples of evidence might include acting “hangry”, feeling down in the coldness of winter, or having dark thoughts in the darkness of December. The cures might be found in diet, exercise, medicine, sleep, and rest among others. The riders at the Cheff Center certainly have the opportunity for exercise and fresh air and that could lead to lowered stress and better mood. Perhaps even the act of climbing up the mounting block and into the saddle can be uplifting to thoughts and feelings. Of course, the physical aspects of therapeutic riding and physical therapy on horseback impact the biological domain, too.
The psychological domain focuses on the individual. For example, character traits are enduring features of the personality that first appear in childhood. People can be known for being absentminded, cheerful, hyperactive, calm and so forth. Look at the characters in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories: pessimistic Eeyore, hyperactive Tigger, nervous Piglet, carefree Pooh. As detectives, we can consider if our enduring traits are influential. When we “own it”, we are saying that we have insight into our own features and recognize them as part of the cause. For example, a person might recognize that she is absentminded and then apologize for forgetting an appointment or a birthday. This could prevent another person from feeling angry, hurt, or neglected. It is sometimes a challenge to look in the mirror and recognize our own features as part of the cause, but when we do that, the cure is usually not hard to figure out. And if we know another person well enough, we have the opportunity to see their individual traits as influential and avoid jumping to the wrong conclusion. At the Cheff Center, we can be impactful in the psychological domain. The riders can feel greater self-esteem, a sense of accomplishment and competency when they complete the tasks presented in the classes. There is the opportunity to think that it was a job well done and to feel pride.
Finally, the social domain involves the individual and one or more others. People around us influence us whether we know it or not. As a detective, one can consider if the others had a significant influence on what one said, did, thought or felt. Have you ever been around complainers and found yourself complaining? And isn’t laughter often contagious? Do you know people that seem to have a calming influence on you? Or maybe there are people who throw gas on your fire? Cures in the social domain may take some time and effort. One has to look clearly at the surrounding people and circumstances and consider if changes need to be made For example, at family gatherings, it is common to recognize that one should not talk politics with someone because it usually ends up going sour. Alcoholics who are early in their recovery may have to avoid certain people who are avid drinkers. At the Cheff Center, we are all about promoting health within the social domain. Staff and volunteers are perpetually cheerful, patient, and encouraging and, of course, this helps the riders become cheerful, calm, and encouraged. The positives and “warm fuzzies” are everywhere and it is truly a therapeutic environment.
Like Sherlock, psychological detectives do not jump to conclusions or make hasty assumptions. They spend lots of time gathering information, and when that is done well then the mystery can be solved. “ Why did I say, do, think, or feel that way?” Frankly, hasty conclusions and premature assumptions cause unnecessary suffering. If one investigates in the biological, psychological, and social domains, then causes and cures can be found. Plus, everybody enjoys a good mystery! Good luck!